Just days after announcing that sex is a "beautiful" and "magical" thing (because, you know, she didn't discover it that long ago), 19-year-old Miley Cyrus is engaged to her boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth. Shall we start placing bets now as to how long these two will be married, if they even make it down the aisle? I'm totally serious
In spite of an intense focus on marriage and traditional family values, divorce rates in the socially conservative South are higher than in the liberal-leaning Northeast, according to a report released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Do you dream of your fairy-tale wedding? Or are you one of the many who say marriage is dying a slow-but-steady death? While there's been much ado about the demise of marriage lately, it seems divorce is having a hard time staying afloat, too. Just-released government statistics show that many of those who are already hitched are staying together.
According to an analysis of census data by The New York Times, for the first time people living in rural America are just as likely to be divorced as people who live in big cities.
When it comes to marriage, the news is often doom and gloom these days. Turn on your TV or open the newspaper or your computer, and it's not long before you're reading about another explosive celebrity divorce. Troll the web for some marriage or divorce advice, and you're likely to find a whole lot of theories about why more and more marriages are failing. And certain groups of us who want to marry are having to fight tooth and nail for the right. And how many times have you been reminded that half of all marriages end in divorce? With such depressing news, it's easy to think, what's the point of even walking down that aisle?
It goes without saying that we no longer live in the time of the Huxtables (much less the Cleavers). But what makes families today different from how they used to be? We decided to investigate. Using facts from census data and recent studies on child-rearing, work, and marriage, we've narrowed down seven qualities that characterize the new American family.
According to the Associated Press, 18 percent of the Florida Keys' residents have been part of failed marriages. Per census data, only Wayne County in Indiana has a higher percentage of divorcees (19 percent). While it makes sense that the Keys would have a high rate of divorced people (it's like a Carl Hiassen novel down there), no one can really put a finger on why Wayne County would have such a preponderance of divorcees. Not many people run away from shaky marriages to eastern Indiana. Nevada has the highest percentage of divorcees by state.
Coming from a divorced family, I have spent my life questioning the idea of a life-long commitment. Most of the adults I know have been divorced at least once, and of the couples who are still married, most of them (along with their kids) appear miserable. And so, while I would love to find a companion whose company I will enjoy "'til death do us part," I've learned from observation that this just might not be a realistic goal. And is it so horrible to think that maybe we weren't supposed to spend our entire lives with one person? Is traditional marriage the best—or only—way? Caitlin Flanagan, author of the Time article "Is There Hope for the American Marriage?" thinks so. But I just don't agree with the lady who claims that there is "no other single force causing as much measurable hardship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage."
The morning quickie: the perfect way to start your day. Read on for three interesting love and sex tidbits: the unexpected statistics on divorce rate for second marriages, the importance of intimacy with yourself, and asexuality.
Last week, a friend of mine told me her husband left her and their new baby. No warning. No precursor. No raging fights or discussions of working things out. He told her he was “unhappy,” then he left. This news smashed a gaping hole in the picture of marriage I had formed in my head. I know no relationship is perfect, but still—when I meet a married couple that recently had a baby, the furthest thought in my mind is that one day, he or she will up and leave. It’s shocking to know that someone can even do that, can bring themselves to be that irresponsible, that selfish. I thought they were happy and stable. I thought they would live the rest of their lives together with their beautiful child. Obviously my friend did, too.
Divorce is on the rise in the United Kingdom. Now almost 1/2 of marriages will end in divorce. Sure that's old news in the US of A, but still worth mentioning on the other side of the pond.
